Hecogenin, which is among the steroidal sapogenins (Merck index, Ninth Edition, 1976, p. 602) has been described in the glycosidally bonded form, in which the H atom of the OH group is replaced by a mono- or disaccharide group, for the inhibition of inflammation (DE-OS 29 26 463, DE-OS 27 59 171). The mono- or disaccharide groups can be partly or wholly esterified with monocarboxylic acids. A specially preferred compound from the series of glycoside derivatives of hecogenin is hecogenin-beta-D-glucoside and/or its ester. The inflammation inhibiting activity of the above-named compounds is based on inhibition of prostataglandine synthesis. The glycoside derivatives of hecogenin are described especially for the treatment of the accompanying inflammation processes, also for inflammation accompanying benign prostata hyperplasia. The aim of the treatment is the prostatitis which accompanies the benign prostata hyperplasia reactively and consecutively.
The named hecogenin derivatives, however, are not intended to treat benign prostata hyperplasia causally by inhibition of the cell growth and by reduction of the volume of the enlarged prostata.
For the alleviation and cure of benign prostata hyperplasia, until now nettle root extracts of urtica dioica, urtica urens and/or their hybrids have been used.
Like many natural products, these medicines are subject to qualitity fluctuations and they have a low content of the suspected active ingredient(s), so that by comparison with pure synthetic active substances a comparatively high dose is necessary.